And, asked if there had been any contact, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu recently admitted: "I haven't spoken to him this year, but with his agent in October."

Griezmann has a contract with Atletico until 2022.

And, according to Fifa's regulations on the status and transfer of players: "A professional shall only be free to conclude a contract with another club if his contract with his present club has expired or is due to expire within six months.
"Any breach of this provision shall be subject to appropriate sanctions."